The District’s procedures for the confidentiality of student records are consistent with federal statutes, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The parents, those acting in a parental relationship, or eligible students of the Charter School for Applied Technologies are hereby notified that they have the following rights in relation to student records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Board of Education Policy #7240:

1. The right to inspect and review student’s education records, unless otherwise limited by court order or other legally binding instrument, within 45 days of receipt of a request.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate.

Parents or eligible students may request such an amendment by writing to the school Principal (or appropriate school official), clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specifying why it is inaccurate. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of the right to a hearing regarding the requested amendment. Additional information regarding hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of this right.

3. The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

4. There are exceptions which allow for disclosure without consent:

5. • Educational records may be released to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by a school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review the educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

6. • Education records of a student concerning disciplinary action taken against a student for conduct that posed a significant risk to the safety or well-being of that student, other students, or other members of the school community may be disclosed to school officials in other schools who have been determined to have a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student.

7. • Educational records may be disclosed by school officials, including disciplinary records and records that were created as a result of a student receiving special education services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to another school or postsecondary institution in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.

8. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by CSAT to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

9. If either a student’s parent, those acting in a parental relationship or the eligible student desire to obtain copies of the policy pertaining to student records, notification should be presented to the Director of Student Services, 2303 Kenmore Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14207.

Release of information beyond that noted above requires parental consent.

Note – All rights and protections given to parents under the FERPA and this policy transfers to the student when he or she reaches age 18 and petitions for self-determination, or attends a post-secondary school, or has been designated an “emancipated

minor.” The student then becomes an “eligible student.”

Limited Directory Information Disclosure

Please note – At the beginning of all students’ enrollment, parents/guardians are given a Media Release Form with the school’s request to allow the use of your child’s photographs, video footage, and/or voice recordings in use of marketing materials (brochures, slides, websites, advertisements, commercials, booklets and flyers, and/or for release to the news media). An opt-out option is available.

The Charter School for Applied Technologies designates the following personally identifiable information contained in a student’s record as “directory information” and shall release the information on a “limited” basis without prior written consent. Limited Directory Information Disclosure means that CSAT may limit disclosure of its designated directory information to specific parties for specific purposes, or both.

Specifically, CSAT will only disclose Directory Information at the discretion of school officials to designated organizations, clubs, athletic teams, media and other parties connected with school activities to promote student achievement and participation in school-sponsored activities. This may include items like honor roll lists, displays of individual art work, or student information to school-approved fundraising groups.

The following will be designated as Directory Information:

• student’s name and date of birth
• address
• place of birth
• major field of study
• grade level
• Participation in sports and activities
• weight and height (for members of athletic teams)
• dates of attendance
• honors, degrees and awards
• e-mail address
• photograph
• name of an educational institution previously attended